A Change of Heart
by M.E. Raine
Summary: "Can a good person be driven to murder?" After trying to kill the Queen of Arendelle, Prince Hans is sentenced to death by his own brother. Amazingly, it is his intended victim that insists he be spared. Still, reconciliation is a long way off. Can the ice queen melt the heart of a stone cold killer? And even if she could, can Hans forgive his own unspeakable crimes? Hans/Elsa
1. Chapter 1

_**Arendelle**_

_By Decree of King Claes of the Southern Isles:_

_After an attempt on the life of Queen Elsa of Arendelle, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles has been convicted of regicide and has thereby been sentenced to death by stoning. The execution will take place on the twelfth of February on the sixth hour in Ryk on the West Calvarin Isle._

The same clipping from several major newspapers had been sent to Elsa too many times to count that day from numerous subjects of Arendelle; no doubt, the good people of her kingdom believed she would rejoice at the news that her would-be murderer was being brought to justice. And she was. Elsa hated Hans and everything that he was. He had deceived and endangered her beloved, trusting younger sister, Anna, tricking her into thinking that he loved her only to try to seize the thrown. Then he'd gone and turned Elsa's own people against her and tried both to have her killed and to kill her himself. He was a selfish, deceitful, conniving killer, and she was glad that he was being punished as one. And yet…

She could not shake the image out of her head of a terrified, broken man being pelted to death with stones while his own brothers looked on with indifference, perhaps even participating in the execution. King Claes was not Hans' father; he was his eldest brother. Elsa had no idea what kind of relationship the two had, but the fact that Claes had sentenced his youngest brother to a brutal death was nevertheless unsettling. Anna was a good person, a remarkably good person…but Elsa knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that under no circumstance would she allow her sister to be stoned to death. She would have avoided execution at all cost.

She shook her head. This was ridiculous; she was the last person on Earth who should be worrying about Hans' fate. She went to find her sister; Anna hadn't seen the article yet, and Elsa hoped that she'd be able to knock some sense into her.

"Good. He had it coming to him. Want to have some hot cocoa with me?" Anna said, casually tossing the clipping aside as if it were a weather forecast and not the announcement of someone's imminent death.

"Oh…um…sure," Elsa replied, taken aback by her sister's non-reaction.

As Anna walked over to the cupboard to take out two mugs, Elsa wondered if she was simply overreacting. Granted, stoning was hardly an internationally accepted form of execution and considered by most to be far too brutal, but it wasn't unheard of…particularly not where the Southern Isles were concerned. King Claes' father, Noak, had been a stoic and peaceful leader, but Claes ruled with a tight fist and certainly did not shy away from treating convicted criminals harshly.

Still, to doom his own brother to a violent, painful death…

"Stoning, though?" she persisted, trying to, at the very least, find justification for her qualms. "Isn't that a bit barbaric?"

"Well, yes," Anna conceded with a roll of her eyes. "but I think it's fitting for a barbarian like him, don't you?"

"I'm not saying they should have let him off or anything. I just…I can't imagine how Claes could have decided to sentence his own brother to death. I didn't think people were capable of that."

"I don't know. Maybe they hated each other," Anna said, stirring her hot cocoa with disinterest and sliding a mug over to Elsa. "Plus, he tried to kill _you_, Elsa, not just anybody. Arendelle is a huge trading partner of the Southern Isles, and they're not doing so well right now. Claes had to send a message, and he had to make sure you weren't about to cut him off. Getting Hans out of the way solves everyone's problems."

And there it was. Anna was right; Claes was doing this for Elsa's own benefit, as well he should. It was the logical thing to do and the just thing to do…so why did it make her feel so uneasy?

_**The Southern Isles**_

Hans lay stretched out on his back on the floor of his cell, knowing full well that an attempt to escape would be completely futile. If there was one thing that the Southern Isles didn't lack during these hard times, it was their state of the art, maximum-security prisons. His trial had been utterly pointless, and everyone knew it, including Hans himself. There had been no confusion, no doubt; Hans had tried to murder the ice queen. Now all that awaited him was his sentence.

_I'd better get used to the atmosphere in here_,he thought to himself. There was no doubt now either. Claes was not going to go easy on his little brother; he never had before when he had done nothing wrong…and he certainly wouldn't now. Hans was certain that he would spend the rest of his life locked up in this godforsaken cell.

He despised Claes. He despised all twelve of his brothers. His parents had died too early in his life for them to have any significant impact on him, so the person he became was a direct result of what he learned from his brothers, and what he'd learned was that power was everything, _everything._ He was beaten over the head every day, every _moment_ of his life by the fact that he would _never_ be king, and a prince who would never rule was worthless.

So what had they expected him to do? Sit around and accept it? No. He would show them that they were wrong. Since he wasn't born into a position to be king, he would earn it. That's what he'd thought when he set out to marry the princess of Arendelle and kill off the queen. No one would be laughing at him then. Now he had failed, and the whole world would laugh at him.

There was a soft tapping at the bars of his cell. Reluctantly, Hans lifted himself off the floor into an upright position to see who had come to disturb him. He let out an exasperated groan.

"What do you want, Rolf?"

Rolf was a year older than Hans, the closest to him in age out of all of his brothers. Rolf was barely any closer to the throne than Hans was, but he never let him forget it.

"Why'd you do it, kid?"

"Will you _stop_ calling me that? Do I look like a kid to you?"

"Kind of. You're sitting on the floor…wait, never mind. I'm sorry."

"You're _what_?"

Not a single one of his brothers had ever offered him an apology. Rolf rolled his eyes, ignoring the question.

"Really, though. Why'd you do it? You don't even _know_ Queen Elsa. How could you hate her enough to want to kill her?"

What a ludicrous question. He didn't hate Elsa. He didn't hate Anna either. He'd never seen them before the coronation; no one had. They were nothing to him, absolutely nothing. They simply had the misfortune of standing between him and a crown, and they had to be removed. However, Hans was hardly in the mood to waste energy on explaining this to his brother.

"What does it matter, Rolf? It's done."

There was a palpable silence in the air, and Hans knew that there had to be another reason for his brother's visit. After what seemed like hours, Rolf spoke again, in a voice low enough so that it was nearly a whisper.

"I've just come from your sentencing decision, Hans. They're going to formally reveal it to you tomorrow, but…I don't know; I thought you should find out from me and not Claes."

Why it mattered which of his disgusting brothers told him he was never leaving this cell again was beyond him, but he remained silent.

"Hans. You're going to be stoned to death in ten days."

His heart sank and his head spun wildly; he began to feel as though he might be sick. It had never occurred to him that he'd be put to death. He'd simply never acknowledged the possibility. To save face, he let out a low chuckle.

"Well, then…see you in Hell, brother."

Hans' tone of voice did not reveal to Rolf that this was, in fact, his greatest fear.

_**Arendelle**_

Elsa carefully and quietly opened her bedroom door and peered down the hall to make sure that no one, particularly her sister, was awake and heading in her direction. Finding the hall empty, she slowly shut the door again and sat down at her desk. With a shaking hand, she wrote.

_King Claes of the Southern Isles,_

_It has come to my attention that Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, your youngest brother, has been sentenced to death after his attempt to take my life this past summer. Although I appreciate the gesture on my behalf, I would like to be perfectly clear in stating that neither I, nor Arendelle, will stand behind this decision. I hereby offer to meet with you personally to negotiate Arendelle's sending of economic aid to the Southern Isles in exchange for the life of Prince Hans. Please respond at your earliest convenience._

_Regards,_

_Queen Elsa of Arendelle_

**A/N: Hi, all! Thanks to anyone who's taken time to read what I've got so far. Please, please, please offer any kind of feedback you have for me; I'd love to hear what you think of the general idea. **

**Also, for anyone who has been following my other story, **_**Peril**_**, don't you worry! I haven't abandoned it and will continue to work on both stories.**

**Thanks again to all of you! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!**

**M.E. Raine**


	2. Chapter 2

When Claes was told that he'd received a letter from Queen Elsa, he had assumed it would be a note of gratitude for doling out the harshest punishment possible to her attacker. It was no secret that his kingdom was suffering from a bitter depression, and Arendelle was his wealthiest trading partner. Elsa had already cut ties with Weselton over the whole ordeal, and he simply could not afford for the same to happen to the Southern Isles. If Hans' death is what it took to retain that vital connection, then so be it; he could stand to lose a brother much more than he could stand to lose any more trade.

Upon reading the letter, his first reaction was to feel offended. She "will not stand behind this decision?" Was this some sort of joke? Was she really passing judgment on him for condemning the worthless scum behind _her_ attempted murder? It would have been laughable if it weren't so enraging.

"How dare she?" he shouted to no one in particular, though his head advisor, Elias, was standing just a few feet away from him.

"Your majesty, I don't believe the queen meant to offend," Elias offered meekly. "She did thank you for the gesture, after all, and you can't overlook the fact that she's offering to send money. I think you should consider her proposition."

"I _have_ to consider it," Claes roared in exasperation. "What's more, I have to _accept _it or we'll have a damned uprising if word gets out to the people. My swine of a brother is going to get off easy, and I'm going to look like a spineless fool! I'll be an international laughing stock!"

"I don't think anyone could accuse you of being spineless, your majesty," Elias' voice was shaking now. The king's rage was infamously a force not to be reckoned with. "And we have to think of what's best for the people first. They are _starving_, your majesty, and we have no way to help them. If we give in to Queen Elsa's request, she will be able to help."

"Like I said, I have no choice," Claes grumbled. His rage had been somewhat pacified, but he was clearly unmoved by Elias' concern for the kingdom's dying subjects. "Write to Elsa. Tell her I'll release Hans to her, and she can do what she will with him. I will write later to arrange a meeting."

"Shall I tell Hans, your majesty?"

"Like I give a damn."

Elias scurried out of the room to write the letter as quickly as his elderly legs could carry him. He loathed his job…or he did now. He'd loved working under Noak; Noak had been a kind and altruistic leader; The Southern Isles had flourished under his rule because that king had been more concerned with the well being of his people than his reputation abroad. Noak may have been viewed as soft by some, but he was respected as a friend to his own people, and Elias believed that was what mattered the most.

Since Claes was very young, Elias knew he would be an unfit ruler. None of Noak's sons had inherited his altruism, but Claes was the very worst. He tormented each of his brothers, taught them to become as coldhearted as he was, and the only value he saw in himself, and in the world, was power. Elias had begged Noak to name a different ruler before he died; even one of the other sons would have been better than Claes, but Noak had refused, believing in the goodness of his own son more than he should have.

"People have a way of surprising you, Elias. My boy will change when he needs to," the old king had told him.

How very wrong he had been. Claes was concerned with nothing but retaining his power and ruling with the most crushing of iron fists that would soften for nothing, not even the immense suffering of a failing kingdom. At least now he'd be forced to accept help from a more benevolent soul.

After sending out the letter to Arendelle, Elias made his way to the prison adjoining the palace; he thought it only right to keep the youngest prince informed of his own fate.

Before he had tried to murder Queen Elsa, he had felt sorry for Hans. He had never known his mother, and his father died before his second birthday, so he had known very little kindness. He was the default punching bag for each and every one of his brothers. Elias himself had tried to befriend the boy; perhaps this one could have been different from the others. Alas, the influence of his older brothers was stronger. Not only was the old man outnumbered, but Hans learned from them to see him as a subhuman, since he was essentially a glorified servant. Hans never learned to respect Elias because of his lower rank, so he was doomed to become just like his brothers, and now he had committed a heinous crime worse than anything they had done, except, perhaps, for Claes.

When he reached Hans' cell, he found what could only be described as a broken man. Hans was on his knees on the floor of the cell, his head hung and his entire body shaking. He was muttering to himself. Elias coughed to announce his presence. The prince instantly snapped out of it when he realized he was no longer alone. He leapt to his feet and swung around to face the advisor.

"What do you want?" he spat. "Can't you people let me live out the last eight days of my life in peace?"

"I just thought you'd like to know that those days have just now been extended," Elias replied calmly.

Hans' entire body froze, and his mouth fell open. For a moment he said nothing.

"What do you mean?" he demanded, but his voice was soft, slow and still full of fear.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle has asked your brother to spare your life, and he has accepted in exchange for economic aid to the Southern Isles."

Hans was once again silent. He was still incredibly tense, as though his body could not believe what his mind was telling him.

"That doesn't make any _sense,"_ he insisted. "Why could she…how could she…her?"

What Elias saw in his eyes at that moment was pure, utter shock and disbelief, and it was in that moment that he realized that despite his horrific actions, this was the one son he could still hope for. When the old man spoke again, his tone was gentler, devoid of the formal air he had learned to always use with royalty.

"There _are_ good people in this world, Hans. It's high time you learned that."

Right then and there, Elias decided that, no matter how hard he had to fight for it, he would accompany Hans to Arendelle. This man would not change on his own, but with help, there was hope. Noak's youngest boy could be saved yet.

**A/N: Hi all!**

**First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who's reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I didn't expect to get such a great response from you guys for this, and it really made my night.**

**So, as you can probably tell by now, my chapters for this story most likely aren't going to be terribly long, but I plan to try and get a post out to you daily, at least for the time being. Also, things should start to pick up from here; I know that not a lot has happened thus far; but I really had to establish Elias' character with this chapter and get them both on their way to Arendelle. **

**I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, and I'd once again love to hear what you think of it!**

**And last but not least…HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Arendelle**_

"You _what?_" Anna shouted with a mouth full of cereal. "Did you freeze your own _brain_, Elsa?"

Elsa had expected this reaction; she wasn't even sure that she _hadn't_ lost her mind, but it was too late to turn back now. Claes had accepted her offer. He'd surprised her by insisting that he be sent to Arendelle; she'd assumed he would be kept alive and locked up in the Southern Isles, but now the king was sending the convicted criminal and some sort of body guard or something directly to her. Unlike the Southern Isles, Arendelle was hardly known for the security of its prisons, so at least for the time being, they were going to have to keep him under close watch within the palace. This wasn't going to be pleasant for anyone, and no one could have possibly been unhappier about it than Anna.

"Anna, I'm sorry," she pleaded with her sister. "I should have told you what I was doing, but it's done now."

"I just can't understand why! We were going to be rid of him for good! Why would you invite him to our home of all places?"

"I couldn't be the reason that he died, Anna!"

She didn't know it until she had already said it, but that really was the reason that she had written that letter. Elsa was no murderer. She simply could not live with herself knowing that, if it weren't for her, another human being would still be alive. Maybe it was stupid, and maybe it was wrong. Maybe she would regret her decision in the long run…but she just couldn't condemn him, not to death anyway. This seemed to at least somewhat calm her sister down. She gave her a sad smile.

"Elsa, you're too good for your own safety, you know that?"

"Oh, please."

"You are! Anyway, where are we going to put him? We don't have a dungeon, and if we just let him wander around, he'll probably off the both of us."

"Well, I don't know what to do with him permanently yet. For now, we'll keep him locked in a guest tower and have guards stationed outside."

Anna paused to think for a moment before nodding, apparently reaching the conclusion that this was an acceptable idea.

"Are we going to put him to work?" she asked with a grin that suggested she would like the opportunity to order around her former false fiancé.

"I don't think so…I don't like the idea of turning him loose. Not yet. Unless Kristoff needs some help ice harvesting?"

"Yeah, not the best idea if the goal is to keep him alive." Anna replied, and Elsa laughed. She highly doubted that her sister's boyfriend would actually try to kill Hans, but putting them to work together would be like punishing Kristoff as well, and she wanted to limit the amount of collateral damage she caused.

"He'll be here, but you won't have to see him. Anna, I'm not going to let him hurt you again."

"I know. And if he shows his face around me or tries to lay a finger on you, he'll _wish_ you'd left him to die over there. Now, come on. We really need to build a snowman."

_**The Southern Isles: King Claes' Chambers**_

"Have you lost your _mind_?" Claes roared once Elias had finally worked up the nerve to inform the king of his plans to accompany Hans to Arendelle. He had anticipated this kind of reaction. "What makes you think I'd be willing to lose my head advisor to the garbage I was ready to kill off anyway?"

Though he knew that this is how the royal brothers always spoke of each other, the old man still cringed at the indication that Claes thought of his own flesh and blood as nothing but garbage; what made it even worse was knowing it was true. Still, he kept his practiced, even tone as he addressed the hotheaded ruler.

"Your majesty, I must insist. If you will not allow me to go, then I will resign and leave regardless."

Claes was so furious he was shaking; Elias could almost watch the varying shades of red in his face.

"I will not stand for this! You have no authority to travel with _my_ prisoner!"

And with that, the image of the grand, terrifying ruler melted away in Elias' mind and was replaced with the two-year-old Claes he'd had to humor through disturbing tantrums years ago. It was remarkable how little he had changed as he'd become older; he'd grown in nothing but physical stature and the number of people he could harm with his selfish rages.

"I have already written to Queen Elsa informing her that I will be accompanying your brother, and she has made no objections. With her permission, I see no reason to stay. God knows you don't need me, Claes; you haven't taken my advice since the day of your coronation. Let me go or accept my resignation."

"Get out, then. There are plenty willing to take your place!"

Just like that, Elias' lifelong dedication to the Kings of the Southern Isles was over, and though he knew he would not regret this decision, he couldn't help but mourn his position as he left Claes without another word. This boy had defiled the throne of his beloved kingdom and was a disgrace to his father's name…but Elias felt the pang of guilt in his chest as he walked down the hall filled with portraits of kings of the past, many of whom Elias had served under. Despite his pessimism in regard to Claes' abilities to change, Elias had furiously tried to guide him into becoming the man his father saw in him…but he had failed enormously. He paused as he reached the portrait of the boys' father.

"I am so sorry, Noak," he murmured, hoping that his friend could hear him wherever he was. "I've failed your first boy. I will not fail your last."

With these words still ringing in his ears, Elias left the palace forever.

_**The Southern Isles: The Royal Prison**_

Hans had hardly moved a muscle since Elias had told him that he'd been saved from execution…by Elsa of all people. This should not have happened; this was not the way the world worked. The ice queen was less likely to have sympathy on him than even Claes. She should want him to suffer; she should want him dead! What was this? It had to be some sort of trick. What would she do with him? Was there something she had in mind for him that she believed to be worse than death? Whatever awaited him, he was relieved to have escaped his execution, but he could not escape the uneasy feeling in his gut at the thought of the woman he'd tried to murder asking his brother for his life.

His head jerked up as he heard footsteps approaching his cell. It was almost amusing that he seemed to acquire more company once he'd become a convicted criminal. It was Elias. He hadn't realized how much the old man had slowed down over the years. He waited impatiently to see what news he had now.

"Well, sir," Elias said in an overly cheerful voice with a smile that was just a bit too large. "Let's get you out of here. We're off to Arendelle."

"We…are…we…what?"

So much about that simple statement made no sense at all. What on Earth would possess her to cart him _closer_ to her?

"You heard me. Come on now, we've got a long journey ahead of us."

Nothing was adding up; it was pure insanity. Suddenly the queen's powers were not the strangest thing about her. Just what kind of person was he dealing with?

**A/N: Hi all!**

**I'd planned to make the move to Arendelle with this chapter, but my dear Elias seemed to have other ideas. We'll get Hans face to face with the princesses in the next chapter for sure!**

**Hope you're all enjoying what you've got so far. As always, your feedback would be greatly appreciated!**

**M.E. Raine**


	4. Chapter 4

Arriving on the shore of Arendelle, Hans had expected to feel terrified, but all he felt walking up to the palace doors, with Elias struggling to keep up with his stride, was intense curiosity. Was she insane? Or did she plan on having him tortured? Humiliated? That at least made some sort of sense; perhaps all that Elsa wanted was to cause his suffering herself. Lost in thought, he hadn't realized he had reached the doors and was now staring blankly at a doorknob. He was broken out of his reverie by Elias' coughing.

Before he could knock on the door, he heard a male voice from inside the palace saying, "Oh, I think someone's at the door! I'll get it!"

The door swung open to reveal…a snowman? A vaguely familiar-looking one at that. "Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hu—woah, _not_ for you, mister! What are you doing here? What is he doing here?"

The latter question was directed at Elias, who was a bit thrown at the sight of a live snowman. He hadn't thought that the queen's powers included animation. He shook his head in awe as he answered.

"I'm sorry…Mr.…eh…Olaf. Queen Elsa was expecting us today. I apologize for the early hour; our captain told us that we wouldn't land until well into the afternoon. Is the queen available?"

Olaf's eyes remained narrowed in suspicion. Clearly, no one had warned the snowman to expect them.

"I don't know…" he said slowly, making a concerted effort at menacing eye contact with Hans, "Elsa? Elsa! Are you awake? ELSA!"

"Shhh, Olaf! Elsa's still asleep!" a voice called from inside; the girl was laughing. "We do _not_ want to wake her up after she was up all last…"

The laughter died as Princess Anna approached. Hans watched as her entire demeanor changed from light and carefree to pure malice.

"Go find Kristoff, Olaf." Anna said, though she was looking at Hans; she was far more talented in the art of menacing eye contact than her enchanted friend, but it would take a lot more than a scorned woman to intimidate him.

Olaf had apparently taken the hint, seeing as he had vanished by the time Hans finally broke eye contact with his former betrothed. God, that seemed so long ago. It had only been a matter of months since his scheme had blown up, but it felt like it had been decades. He'd been locked up the second he'd set foot on the Southern Isles, and from that moment on, his entire life had been dictated by what he'd done. His attempted murder had come to entirely define the person he was, as if he had been guilty from birth. Maybe he was.

"You weren't supposed to be here until later," the redhead snapped at him.

Hans shrugged, wishing someone would just tell him what was to become of him and be done with it.

"Perhaps we should come back later," Elias piped up. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. We'll give the queen some time to-"

"Someone there, Anna?"

Queen Elsa appeared behind her sister. She had obviously come down in a hurry; she had gotten dressed, but it was her long, tangled main of hair, loosely and haphazardly pinned up at the back of her head, that gave her away. She covered her mouth to conceal a yawn. Clearly, they had woken her up after all. Unlike Anna, Elsa averted her eyes at the sight of Hans.

"Ah, I see. Well…come in, then."

Presumably to continue to avoid looking at Hans, Elsa directed her attention to Elias.

"Are you Hans'…caretaker….sir?" she asked the old man, sounding slightly confused.

"Former head advisor to the King of the Southern Isles, Elias Nilsson, at your service, your majesty."

"Yes, alright, well, I'm sorry I'm not exactly presentable this morning, but I wasn't expecting you until later. Anna, where are Jakob and Ivar?"

Instantly, two men appeared, clad in blue and gold uniform.

"Your majesty!" they cried in unison.

The familiar pang of jealousy beat at Hans' chest. She had so much power…she had these men and an entire kingdom at her beck and call. If he had been just a bit more careful, a bit smarter, that power would be his…and now here he was, his very life under her control. He was disgusted with himself for being so weak.

"Take this man to his room, please," she said with a nod in Hans' direction. She redirected her attention to Elias, saying, "He'll be confined to the third floor bedroom in the west tower. This is a _temporary_ arrangement until we can tighten the security of a prison somewhere. He is not to leave the room under any circumstances. His meals will be brought to him, and there is an adjoining bathroom he'll have access to. Either Jakob or Ivar will guard the door at all times. If he tries to escape, he will be sent back to the Southern Isles immediately."

Hans fumed as she spoke to his servant while he was standing right next to him. Without thinking, he opened his mouth to voice his objections before Anna's piercing glare brought him to his senses.

"You, of course, Mr. Nilsson, have committed no crime and have full access to the palace," Elsa continued. "Your bedroom is on the second floor of the west tower, and you may let anyone in the palace know if you require something."

She paused and inhaled deeply; she looked as if she were physically exhausted, and not because they had woken her up with their arrival. Finally, her eyes met Hans'. Her gaze took him slightly aback. It was not hostile like her sister's or even cold. In fact, if he wasn't imagining things, he saw an element of the confused and lost person that resided in himself. It was almost as if she was searching his face for answers to unknown questions. After a moment, her face changed, and her expression became completely impassive.

"Do you have any questions?" she asked in a tone that dared him to cross her.

"No."

"No, _your majesty_, you pig," Anna spat. Funny, he had nearly forgotten she was there in that brief moment.

"Enough, Anna," Elsa sighed; her voice was more tired than annoyed.

"Thank you, your majesties," Elias bowed in the direction of the royal sisters. Both of them nodded politely.

Hans rolled his eyes as each of the two guards firmly grabbed one of his arms and guided him toward the west tower as if he was going to make a break for it. Where the hell would he go? Now, however, was not the time to test the girls' limits. He looked over his shoulder to see if Elias was following, which, of course, he was. What the prince also caught sight of was Elsa, staring at her own fingernails with the same searching expression she had used to look at him. Perhaps the ice queen was just as perplexed by herself as he was by her.

He had expected his "room" to be yet another cell and prepared himself to see his home for the foreseeable future as one of the guards opened the door. His jaw fell open when he saw what was really there; the room was remarkably similar to the one he'd had in his own palace…before he had been banished to his prison cell. Granted, nearly every inch of it was a disturbingly bright shade of pink, but the accommodations Elsa had given him were downright luxurious. Not knowing what else to do, he sat down on the enormous bed in the center of the room. Yet again, nothing made sense. He had tried to murder the queen of a prosperous and powerful kingdom. He had received a sentence that, although brutal, fit that crime. Then, the same woman he had tried to kill had asked Claes to spare his life…and had moved him from his cell…to this.

"_Why?"_ he asked out loud to no one in particular, his frustration beginning to boil over.

"She is more compassionate than most, Hans." The prince jumped; he hadn't realized that Elias had entered the room as well. "There is a lot that you can learn from-"

"I'm not _interested_ in your lessons, Elias," Hans snapped. The old man had never really learned his place. "Get out and leave me be."

Elias sighed and reluctantly obliged. Well…he knew from the beginning that this would not be easy.

**A/N: Hi all!**

**Ugh, this is getting posted way later today than I wanted. I've literally been shoveling snow all day- anyone else get hit by this monster blizzard?**

**ANYWAY, I've finally gotten Hans and Elias to Arendelle, so now the ball should really get rolling!**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone reading and reviewing my work! As always, your feedback would be greatly appreciated!**

**M.E. Raine**


	5. Chapter 5

Kristoff groaned as Sven stopped in his tracks for the eighth time that day. It had been a long and essentially fruitless workday for the both of them, but he was fed up with the reindeer's indignation. He hadn't seen Anna in a week, and if Sven kept it up, he wouldn't be seeing her tonight either. The last time he'd spent time with her, she seemed extremely moody, which was odd because Anna was almost always in a good mood, and she had refused to tell him what was wrong. Now that a week had gone by, if she was still upset, something serious was probably going on…but he would never _know_ that if his companion wouldn't get a move on!

"Come on, Sven; I know you're tired, but I _really_ need you to bear with me here, buddy. All you have to do is pull us home! I ran out of carrots, and there's plenty back home, and I know that Anna has a stash for you back at the palace."

Surprisingly, Sven stood his ground. _Seriously? _Kristoff thought. _The one time food doesn't get him going. _He looked around helplessly on the off chance that someone was nearby to help him out. Miraculously, he saw a figure in the distance coming towards him. He sighed inwardly as it got closer, and he realized that it was only Olaf.

"Kristoff! Hey! Hey, Kristoff! Hey!"

"Hey, Olaf," Kristoff called back, slightly amused. "What's up?"

Olaf finally reached him, panting as he tried to catch his breath from the run.

"Anna…said…you might need…some help," the snowman managed between gasping breaths.

That was bizarre. She couldn't have known that Sven was giving him a hard time, and even if she did, she had to know that Olaf wouldn't be any help. He meant well, but when work had to be done, he was more distracting than anything. She must have wanted to get rid of him for some reason.

"Olaf, just out of curiosity, do you think there's any reason Anna may have wanted you to leave the palace?"

"To help you, silly! Didn't I just say that? I think I did!"

"No I mean…any other reason? Was there something she was doing?"

"Just giving the evil eye to her ex fiancé," Olaf said nervously, trying his best to keep up a genuine smile. "You know…no big deal!"

"Please tell me she's been engaged twice, and that scumbag Hans isn't _in her home_," Kristoff said slowly, struggling to keep his composure.

"Well…"

"Oh my _God_."

That must have been what Anna was so upset about the last time he'd seen her. Why wouldn't she tell him about this? Why was this happening in the first place? He was supposed to be getting stoned to death in the Southern Isles, far away where he couldn't touch Anna or her sister ever again. What could have possibly happened that would have landed him back in Arendelle? And why the hell hadn't he known about it before now?

"Climb on, Olaf. Sven, I swear to God, if you do not move _right now-_"

Apparently, Kristoff's tone was all that Sven needed to motivate him to start running. The reindeer may have been in a lazy mood, but the sound of his friend's distress was not something he could ignore. He took off in the direction of the palace.

"I…think I'm going to leave you to…your thing," Olaf said hesitantly once they had reached the palace, clearly not wanting anything to do with an angry and determined Kristoff at the moment. The snowman scurried away and Kristoff banged on the door.

"I'm coming; I'm coming!" came the voice of a disgruntled Anna. "Oh! Kristoff! Hi!" she said uneasily when she opened the door; his anger must have been evident in his face.

"Olaf said that Hans was here. Is he?" the ice harvester said through gritted teeth. His girlfriend's silence was answer enough. "Why wouldn't you _tell_ me any of this? You know what? We'll discuss that later. Where is he?"

"What? Kristoff…what are you…"

"_Where is he?"_

"He's…on the third floor of the west tower…You know, you can't just-"

"Hold that thought."

Kristoff stormed off toward the west tower, leapt up three flights of stairs and charged toward the door to Hans' room.

"No visitors, sir. Queen's orders." It was Ivar, one of the palace guards.

"Ivar, I'm not going to hurt him. I don't want to touch him. Let me talk to him."

Elsa had instructed Ivar to let no one into that room except for Elias. However, he'd seen enough of Kristoff to know that he was involved with Princess Anna, and as far as the guard knew, that meant that the mountain man likely had some sort of power over him as well; if he stood in Kristoff's way, he worried that he'd get into trouble with the princess, and having seen the way she acted around Hans, he had no desire to get on her bad side.

"Very well," he said, moving aside to let him pass. "But please make it quick."

"Oh, don't you worry."

With that, Kristoff flung open the door and barged inside, where Hans lay on top of his bright pink comforter, staring blankly at the ceiling. He shot up into an upright position at the sound of someone entering. His eyes were wild and frightened for a split second before he registered who it was that was actually there.

"Ah. The lover boy. Uh…Martin, was it?"

Truth be told, Hans had no idea what the man's name was, and he didn't care. No doubt, he was here to defend his girlfriend's honor or the like, and Hans could do nothing but watch and wait for him to finish.

Kristoff opened his mouth to speak, but his mind was blank; all he had was his incommunicable rage. He'd felt sure that he simply had to confront the man who'd so deeply wounded his girlfriend and nearly killed her sister, but in hindsight, he should have planned this out a bit better.

"If you _ever_ go near either of those girls, and I find out about it, you will seriously regret it."

That was all he could muster up? Pathetic. Feeling foolish and defeated, he took what was left of his dignity and stormed out the door again, nearly running straight into Elsa, who had come bolting up the stairs when she'd heard him yelling.

"Elsa, who did this?" Kristoff demanded, still hurt that Anna hadn't told him. "How did he get here? Can't you do anything about it?"

"I did this," the queen replied softly but firmly. "And I'm not in the mood to discuss it, so go and talk to Anna if you want. She doesn't like it any more than you do."

Speechless, Kristoff turned to go.

"And Kristoff," Elsa called as he reached the staircase. "Don't go in there again. It won't do anyone any good."

Once she was alone outside Hans' door, Elsa heaved a sigh of exhaustion and looked up at the clock on the wall. Nearly midnight. She was relieved that this nightmare of a day was finally over; maybe everything would be clearer to her in the morning. She doubted it, but it was possible. After a moment, she walked toward the staircase, intending to go to bed, when someone broke into a coughing fit behind her. Thinking it was Hans from behind the door, she quickened her pace, eager to get away from the sound of his voice, but it was the old man that had accompanied him that called after her.

"Good evening, your majesty," Elias greeted her with a bow.

Elsa groaned inwardly. All she wanted to do was climb into bed and, just for the night, forget the situation that she had put herself and the people she cared about into.

"Good evening, Mr. Nilsson."

"Oh, do call me Elias, your majesty. I am not one for formalities."

Elias was struck by the irony of his own statement. He himself never liked to be called anything but his first name, but his entire life and career had been built upon recognizing the formalities in others.

"Very well, Elias," Elsa replied, giving him a small smile. "I hope you've found your accommodations satisfactory?"

"Oh, yes, yes, of course. I only wanted to thank you, actually."

"Oh, it's no trouble; we have plenty of room."

"That's not what I meant. Thank you for giving him a chance, your majesty. No one else would have. No one else ever has."

"I think I've made a mistake!" Elsa burst out, finally losing her composure. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand. How could she say that to the man who had personally assigned himself as Hans' caretaker? Clearly, he cared for the prince in some way. "I…I'm so sorry, Mr…Elias…I…I didn't…"

"Don't apologize. It's a difficult thing you've done, but it was not a mistake."

"How do you know that?" Her voice was desperate, begging for answers, but Elias knew that he couldn't come to conclusions for her; she had to work them out on her own.

"I'm a very old man, your majesty. I've come to know a thing or two."

**A/N: Hi all!**

**I am SO SORRY that I haven't posted in the last couple of days. I was having migraine-level headaches thanks to the lovely virus I've come down with, and trust me, you do NOT want to read the garbage I come out with in that kind of condition. Posts should be back to normal now! Again, so sorry!**

**Mainly a Kristoff-centered chapter, but the poor guy **_**did**_** have to find out sometime. The next chapter will heavily feature Hans, so for anyone waiting on that- no worries!**

**Once again, thank you so much to everyone reading and reviewing my work, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!**

5


	6. Chapter 6

Hans had started humming to himself to drown out the noises of his own stomach. At first, he thought he was being rationed and that at least a small amount of food would come eventually. Then, he decided that one of the servants had forgotten to feed him and that they'd remember the next day. Four days later, he finally had to accept that he was being starved. So this is why he'd been brought out here; he was spared his stoning in the Southern Isles only to be starved to death in Arendelle. Finally, everything made sense. Elias was wrong; Elsa wasn't showing him some kind of selfless mercy because she was an abnormally good person. She simply wanted to kill him herself because she was just like everybody else.

Elias, of course, had been visiting multiple times a day, but Hans kept quiet about his lack of food. The thought of being in anyway indebted to a servant was disgusting to him, but the old man was not a fool.

"Sir, you've been looking very pale lately," Elias noted late one afternoon.

"Oh really?" Hans said with a sarcastic chuckle. "And with all the sun bathing I've been doing? However could that have happened?"

Undeterred, Elias persisted, saying "Sir…I can hear your stomach from here. When was the last time you ate?"

"That is none of your business," the prince snapped.

That was Elias' answer. "You have to eat something, sir; it won't do any good to-"

"You think I'm doing this to _myself_?" Hans yelled, finally admitting to what was going on. As much as he didn't want the man's help, he refused to paint such a pathetic image of himself.

Elias fell silent as he began to understand. This could not be right; he was so sure that Queen Elsa was different. There had to be some mistake. Still, the boy was starving; that needed to be tended to first and foremost.

"I'll be back in a moment, your majesty," he said and rushed out the door.

When he came back, there was a heaping platter of food in his hands. Hans eyed it with suspicion.

"Where did you get that?"

"An obliging servant," the old man replied simply.

There was something in Elias' tone that Hans did not quite believe, but he couldn't care less as the sound of his stomach rang in his ears. He snatched the plate from Elias and began scarfing down its contents.

"Probably poisoned," he remarked casually with his mouth full. Elias chuckled.

"Have a little faith, your majesty."

"They tried to _starve_ me."

"Point taken."

Elias left Hans to finish the food, which had actually been brought for Elias himself an hour earlier, and set off in search of Elsa. Even if she had had a change of heart, there was still hope that she could be swayed. He found her standing slumped over a small table in the atrium. Her head hung low and her breathing was ragged as though she had recently been running.

"Your majesty? Is everything alright?"

Really, the queen was beginning to look as if she may need a doctor.

"What?" Elsa's head popped up and swung around to face the old man. "Oh…I…uh, yes. Yes, I've…I've just had a trying day. What can I do for you, Elias?"

Elias knew better than to further question her. It wasn't his place, particularly not when he needed something from her.

"Regarding Hans, your majesty…is now the best time?" he cut himself short, alarmed at the queen's inability to pull herself together.

The truth was that the well-meaning man could not have picked a worse time. Elsa had just come from a meeting with a few of her royal advisers, and to each of them, it seemed clear that her decision to bring Hans into the palace was unpopular in Arendelle, to say the very least. While the people commended her compassionate nature, they saw this as a step too far; why bring the danger here when it was going to be safely taken care of in the Southern Isles? What's more, she was being criticized on the international stage for being soft on crime. It was uncanny what sparing one person was potentially doing to her reputation. Her advisers were all but demanding that she either return the convicted prince to his eldest brother or take care of him herself, and even now, she simply could not bring herself to do it. She was beginning to wonder what on earth was wrong with her. Nevertheless, it was not Elias' fault that she'd placed herself in this position, and he was seemingly the only other person in the world who gave a damn about what happened to Hans.

Snapping back into her royal persona, she straightened herself up, cleared her throat and addressed the old man once again. "I'm sorry. I was a little distracted; that's all. What was it you wanted to say?"

"Regarding Hans…" Elias started again. "have you…changed your mind?"

"Changed my mind about what?" she asked, genuine confusion in her expression.

"Sparing his life."

_If only_, she thought to herself, but instead said, "No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"You aren't…withholding food from him? I beg your pardon, your majesty, but

I don't think he's eaten for days."

"_What?_"

Everything she had just gone through in her meeting was wiped from her mind in that moment and replaced with a blind rage. No matter what anyone wanted her to become, she would _not _become the kind of ruler who would stone or _starve_ people to death. Without another word, she rushed past Elias, who struggled to keep up with her as he followed her to the kitchens. There, about six servants were either cleaning dishes or sitting idly. All of them stood erect when Elsa entered the room. Immediately, they could tell that something was not right.

The ice queen's voice was cold as she spoke. "Regardless of whether or not you _agree_ with my decision to keep Prince Hans in this palace for the time being," she said through gritted teeth. "it is not for any one of you to decide whether he lives or dies. If I hear that you neglect to feed our prisoner again, all of you will be dismissed."

Elias opened his mouth to thank Elsa, but she stormed past him and straight to her bedroom. The moment she was alone, she broke down in tears. Anna, Kristoff, the people of Arendelle and abroad, even _Olaf_…everyone thought she was insane for what she'd done. Maybe she was. She'd been secluded for so long during her youth that perhaps she genuinely didn't know what it was to be just…but there was something in her that just would not relent. She couldn't stem the tears when she heard a soft knock at the door.

"Elsa?"

Anna. No one had been angrier about what she'd done than her beloved sister. Elsa couldn't bear it. She'd only just started to mend the relationship that had been broken by closed doors, and now she had risked it again…and for what? For Hans. For someone who had hurt her sister and tried to kill her. What was _wrong _with her? Anna knocked again.

"Elsa, can I come in, please?"

That was a request she could never deny again. No matter what, if her sister wanted access to her, she would never deny it. She wiped her eyes as she slowly rose from her bed and opened the door. Without saying anything at all, Anna immediately threw her arms around her, taking the older sister by surprise.

"I love you, and you're not a bad queen," Anna said without letting go. "I heard what they were saying in there, and it's not right. And I wasn't right either. I was a big jerk, and I'm sorry."

Elsa sighed and sat back down on her bed.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. This is all my fault."

"You always blame everything on yourself, Elsa. You brought him here because you're a good person! Didn't I say that already? You're almost _too_ good. But it's not a bad thing, and it doesn't make you soft or crazy or anything else those airheads said about you. I hate him, Elsa, but I'm proud of you."

Elsa felt a small weight being lifted from her shoulders. At least she still had her sister on her side.

"Thank you. Really…thank you."

"Don't thank me, dummy. You should know this stuff already," Anna said, playfully shoving Elsa's shoulder. "You want to play cards or something?"

"In a little while. There's something I need to do first."

Anna nodded and left. Shortly after, Elsa ventured out of her room and onto the third floor. The guard outside Hans' door bowed to her and moved aside to let her in.

When she entered the room, Hans was sleeping. It shouldn't have struck her as bizarre to see him asleep, but it did. People always look so serene while they're sleeping, and that didn't fit what Elsa knew of this prince at all. She still had nightmares of the savage look on his face on the day he'd tried to murder her. That man haunted her in the back of her mind at every moment. This one seemed so innocent. She shook her head as if to shake away her train of thought and cleared her throat.

Hans' eyes snapped opened, and he was once again face-to-face with the woman he'd wanted to kill for her kingdom. He felt nothing as he looked up at her. It was simply strange to see her. In a way, this woman, who he knew next to nothing about, had become a part of his identity. Ever since he'd been carted back to the Southern Isles in the summertime, his entire existence was defined by what he'd done. It was almost as if he'd been guilty of the crime he'd committed since birth, and this figure standing before him had always been a part of his life. There was no guilt; there was no remorse. Looking at Elsa was merely a confirmation of the lesser person he had become.

"Your majesty," he greeted her through his clenched jaw. He hated being her subordinate; he _hated_ having to treat anyone with this disgusting, lofty respect.

The queen was silent. Hans sat up and met her eyes with vague curiosity. Like before, she averted her gaze from his, not that he could exactly blame her. He wouldn't want to spend much time looking at the person who tried to literally stab him in the back either…which made it all the more strange that she was in the room at all. He waited, utterly confused as he normally was these days, until she forced herself to make eye contact once more.

"I wanted to inform you that it was not my intention or my decision to deny you food, and I've made sure that it won't happen again. I had no idea that this was going on and…" she paused, trying to gather the strength necessary for the words she would say next. "I'm sorry."

Hans exhaled audibly as he felt the wind knocked out of him at the sound of those words. He hadn't the slightest idea what he'd expected her to say to him, but an apology hadn't been anywhere near the realm of possibility. At this point, he was entirely convinced that she was entirely different than any other human being, and quite possibly completely insane. Extremely thrown off, Hans for some reason felt the need to apologize himself. After all, if she could apologize for _accidentally_ letting him starve for a few days, he should be able to apologize for _intentionally_ trying to take her life…right?

He opened his mouth, but the words simply would not come. He _wasn't_ sorry for what he'd done. Regardless of how strange or crazy she was, he would do it again if it meant another chance at gaining her throne. Still, why couldn't he bring himself to say it anyway? He had certainly had no trouble being dishonest in the past…

After realizing he wasn't going to say anything, Elsa gave him an awkward nod in goodbye and left the room. Almost immediately after, Elias entered. What, was the man psychic?

"I really am an evil bastard," he said with a dark laugh before Elias had even had the chance to shut the door behind him.

"What makes you say that?"

Normally, the old man would have tried to refute a statement like that and tried to get the prince to see the good in himself, but he suspected that Hans may be on the path to doing that on his own.

"The queen was just in here."

"Yes, I saw."

"Do you know what she _said? _She said she was _sorry_! She _apologized_ for her servants starving me…and she didn't even know about it! There is something wrong with that woman."

Elias smiled. He knew he'd been right about Elsa. "And why does that make you 'an evil bastard,' your majesty?"

"I didn't say anything."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you for neglecting to thank her. She must have known you'd be surprised."

"I didn't want to _thank _her. I wanted to…I don't know, say it back."

"You wanted to apologize?"

This was a development that he hadn't expected yet. Was Hans already remorseful for what he'd done?

"I guess. I don't know why; I'm _not _sorry; I just thought I should say it anyway and I just…couldn't. I tried to kill a person, I'm not sorry for it, and I can't even lie and say that I am."

"Give yourself time, your majesty."

Always cryptic. Why was Hans bothering to talk to this servant anyway? He was never any help.

"Well I've got plenty of that. What does it matter anyway…" he said with resignation.

Elias took that as his cue to leave. From the hall, Elsa heard someone approaching and removed her ear from the other side of the door and stepped back just as Elias swung it open. Smiling at her as he closed it behind him, he simply said, "Still think you've made a mistake, your majesty?"

**A/N: Hi all!**

**Oh…my…God…how long has it been? I don't even want to know. I am so so so so sorry for keeping you all waiting. Life got kind of chaotic for a while, and unfortunately, writing had to be put on the back burner. But I'm back! And rest assured, I'm not going to give up on this story. **

**Now that the semester's started up again, I sadly can't commit to a chapter a day anymore, but I will have them up as soon as I possibly can, hopefully at least once a week if not more often.**

**As always, a huge thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed my work thus far, and a special thanks to those of you who've stuck with me post-hiatus. **

**I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts! For those of you experiencing this freezing weather, stay warm!**

**M.E. Raine**


	7. Chapter 7

Elsa shuffled her feet, embarrassed that she had been caught eavesdropping. Truth be told, she had no idea why she had been listening at the door in the first place. Exactly what did she want to hear? Her would-be assassin was occupying far too great a space in the queen's mind for her liking. Perhaps all she was searching for were answers; she was so damned _confused_ nowadays, more about herself than about Hans. Now that she _had _heard him, however, her mind was more frenzied than ever. She said nothing. After all, what was there to say?

"Perhaps you'd like some tea and company?" Elias said, his smile still wide.

Elsa wondered why he seemed so elated. It wasn't as if Hans had had some major breakthrough; he'd outright admitted that he wasn't sorry for what he'd done, and even he was, it wouldn't change that the fact that he'd done it. Moreover, why was Elias so invested in this cruel and violent man in the first place? Granted, Elsa could relate to some degree. She'd saved his life against her better judgment, but Elias clearly genuinely cared for Hans somehow. He never spoke to or of him like a criminal; his concern for Hans was almost like a parent's concern for a child.

"Sure," she responded. At the very least, it might be of some comfort to talk to someone who was possibly even more insane than she was. "Where would you like to go?"

"It just so happens that a pot has been brought to my chambers. Unless you object to the informal setting?"

"No, no. I'm tired of formal settings," Elsa said with a laugh.

The past several months had brought about alarming change for the Queen of Arendelle. She'd gone from being utterly alone in her own room to grand balls and advisors' and foreign leaders' councils and appearances before her entire kingdom…it was all incredibly overwhelming, and though she'd never admit it, she was sometimes more comfortable behind a closed bedroom door. Her position as a monarch required a high degree of formality, but by nature, Elsa was not a particularly formal person. She preferred lazy Sundays, letting her hair down and friendly company.

Once they had reached the old man's bedroom, he pulled out a chair for her at the small table in a corner of the room and began pouring the tea.

"I've been reading about the reaction to Hans' arrival here," he began, and Elsa winced; this wasn't exactly a favorite topic of hers. "It was a dreadful idea. The papers are just so closed-minded these days."

"Everyone else would say that you and I are too open-minded," Elsa said with a sad smile, and Elias laughed.

"Yes, but they'll come around."

"I wish it were that simple. It isn't just Arendelle that's not happy with me either; it's essentially the entire _world_, and I can only imagine what King Claes thinks of all this. The papers aren't exactly leaving him alone either."

Elias was secretly glad that this was the case. Even if it was for the wrong reasons, Claes was finally being criticized for his harsh and foolish leadership. Journalists mocked him for putting his country in such bad shape that he had no choice but to give in to Queen Elsa's "insane" request.

"I wouldn't worry about King Claes if I were you. He's another story entirely, your majesty."

"Elsa. You can call me Elsa."

Elias was a bit touched by this offer. Though it was seemingly insignificant, not a soul had suggested he call them by their first name since Noak. He was taking quite a liking to this queen.

"I'd be honored, Elsa."

They sat in silent contemplation for a few moments before Elias finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"So, what do you think of what you heard?"

"I have no idea," Elsa replied with frustration, and no statement could have been truer. "I don't even know what I _should_ be thinking."

"Well, if anyone knew what we _should_ be thinking, we'd all have everything figured out, Elsa. I can't give you an answer because I don't have one. You can only follow your best instincts. What does your intuition tell you?"

"That he's different than he was somehow…but then I turn around and think about that, and I start to believe I'm as crazy as everyone else thinks I am. People like that don't change. You don't _stop _being a bad person."

"I don't know if I believe that," Elias said with a faint smile. "I agree with your intuition. Either he's changing or he was never a truly bad person to begin with.

Elsa remained silent. How could that be? How could a good person even wish to do the things he'd done? Then again, if she really thought he was nothing but evil, why would she have been compelled to save him from his well-deserved fate? She shook her head as if to shake away all of her impossible questions, but when she spoke, it was with yet another one.

"Elias, can a good man be driven to murder?"

Elias was transported in that moment to a time just prior to his service under Noak. Noak's father, King Teodor, had been a generally unremarkable ruler, doing exactly what was expected of him without any particular compassionate or brutal leanings. He was confident, though, which gave the people confidence as well. He never questioned his own decisions, firmly believing that everything could be done by the book so to speak; every dilemma was entirely black and white…so when Teodor seemed troubled on the night after Rebecka's trial, all of the palace inhabitants knew that something was deeply wrong.

Noak was a young man in his early twenties at the time, and because of his father's relative ill health, he was generally kept in the know in regard to important royal business, just in case he should need to step in for Teodor (he would, in fact, take the throne just one year later), and he was one of the few that knew what it was that plagued the king. The future monarch sat by Elias' side as the head advisor wept uncontrollably in a way that he never had before and would never do again. These two had had an unorthodox friendship years before Noak was king.

"He's not going to kill her, Elias," Noak said, a comforting hand on Elias' back. "He might not show it very well, but he's fond of you…he would never do that to you!"

"_Elias, I've done something terrible…" Tears were streaming down her face; his heart always broke when he saw her cry._

"She murdered her own father, Noak!" Elias choked out. "The law says she should be put to death. You tell me, when has Teodor ever gone against the law? He won't let me in to talk to him. I don't know what to do!"

"_I'm going to die for what I've done. I don't regret it, Elias, but I'm sorry for what it's going to do to you. You have to believe I'm sorry for hurting you." His head reeled. This couldn't be happening. They were mere months away from their wedding day…his sweet, gentle Rebecka…_

"He knows how important she is to you, Elias. I know he will make an exception."

"Why should he? She's guilty; she told me so herself! She's not who I thought she was…how could that be?"

_She took his shaking hands and stared straight into his disbelieving eyes. "Please…please know that I love you, Elias. If there were any other way, I would never leave you. I am so, so sorry." He felt like he would die, right then and there. She'd killed more than one person. She'd killed the man standing before her that she claimed to love. He'd never known this kind of pain, this kind of loss. He fell to his knees as she walked away to submit her confession. That was the last time he would ever see his beloved Rebecka. Devastated, he realized that, in his shock and dismay, he'd forgotten to tell her that he loved her, too._

"You know her, and you love her," Noak insisted. "There has to be more to this story. You are so good, Elias. If you love her, she can't be a bad person."

"Elias?" Elsa's voice snapped him back to the present. He looked up to see the concern in her eyes. 'Can a good person be driven to murder?' she'd asked.

"That's the question, now isn't it?" he finally responded.

He could bear no more that day. Bidding her a good night, he left the room for a solitary walk about the palace, hoping more than ever that he could help to unlock some hidden good in the condemned Prince Hans.

**A/N: Hi all!**

**I hope the avid Hans fans reading this aren't too disappointed with the lack of him here. The reason this chapter is a little late is that I struggled with whether or not to include it at all. My original plan was to leave the story of Rebecka out entirely, but I eventually decided that would be unfair Elias' character; it was important to me that I put out there that there is more to him than the "wise old grandfather figure" aspect. Have no fear, though; Hans will be all over the next chapter!**

**I left a lot of Rebecka's story out of the chapter. That was intentional, and I won't be delving much deeper into it later. The truth of what happened to her is a very sensitive and mature subject, and I want to keep this story readable for as wide an audience as I can. However, I do know all of the details, and if anyone is curious and has any questions about her or her situation, or anything regarding Rebecka, I will be happy to discuss it with you in a PM.**

**As always, I'm so grateful to everyone reading and reviewing this story so far. I never anticipated such a great response from you all, and I can't tell you how much your feedback makes my day.**

**Again, I hope those of you in climates like mine are keeping warm! Dear Lord, this winter just will not let up! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!**

**M.E. Raine**


	8. Chapter 8

"Your majesty, be _reasonable._"

Elsa groaned. This was about the thousandth time one of her advisers had cried out something like this in frustration. At this point, it was all starting to get very, very old. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to compose herself before she spoke. Getting through these meetings with her sanity intact was proving more and more daunting a task these days.

"Emil, I've said it a hundred times, and I'll say it again; I won't go back on this decision."

"The hell you won't!"

The utter shock and disbelief that radiated throughout the room was nearly palpable. Anders, the source of the outburst and a fairly seasoned royal adviser, covered his mouth with his hand as if not even he could believe he'd had the audacity to speak to the queen this way.

"What did you say?" Elsa asked more out of sheer surprise than anger.

Anders didn't answer for a moment, obviously trying to find himself a way out of this situation. Apparently, deciding that his best option was simply to trudge onward, he said with as much pride as he could muster, "I'm sorry, your majesty, but you cannot make this decision with nothing but your own sympathies in mind. Your kingdom is frightened and angry, and the rest of the world will not continue to take you seriously if you leave things the way they are with this insignificant prisoner. Are you really going to bring down an entire nation for the sake of pity?"

Was that what she was doing? Was she condemning her people just because she felt sorry for a convicted criminal?

"What's more, the Southern Isles are on the brink of an uprising," Anders pressed onward as Elsa's head spun. "They are starving over there, and you have yet to meet with King Claes to organize the aid you promised. If you don't address that, the people will kill off Claes, and then turn on you, and Arendelle will suffer. I say we stop worrying about his worm of a younger brother and deal with what matters."

The man was out of breath by the time he finished. He eyed Elsa warily but expectantly. It was clear that he was confident in his position, and the rest of the room nodded in agreement.

"What do you suggest I do?" she asked, her voice flat and her face devoid of any emotion.

"Write to Claes. Get him here as soon as possible, and when he gets here...get him to take Hans back with him."

For reasons she did not understand at all, this made her blood run cold. Her power was bubbling up with her irrational emotions, and she had to get out of that room.

"I will give some thought to your advice. This meeting is over."

With that, she took off down the corridor, through the back door and out into the courtyard. Unable to contain the force built up by frustration any longer, she let go of as much of her restraint as she could afford to and sent an array of ice shards shooting into the ground. Laughing in relief as she felt every inch of her begin to relax, if only in that moment, she tore her hair down from its tidy position on top of her head, spread her arms wide and danced beneath a snow cloud she cast above her head. This was Elsa at her happiest; this was simple, blissful, free.

From his window in the West Tower, Hans watched the snow queen unleash her power and was struck by the innocence of it. The last time he had witnessed this magic, it was mighty, destructive, deadly. Without even intending to, she had brought an entire kingdom to its knees. By mere accident, she had wielded an insurmountable power; the entire world could have been at her disposal if she'd only saw fit to realize her full potential. Now, she was entirely different. Childlike and giddy, she was neither seeking control over anything nor taking it by accident. She looked like some sort of frightened, caged animal that had been allowed out for the first time. Wanting nothing else but to remain free from her intangible chains, she relished in the fleeting moment of pure freedom she allowed herself, and Hans couldn't help but smile as he looked on, for in that one brief moment, they were the same. How simple life could be if the concept of power were wiped away and there was nothing he had to live for but that incomparable happiness dancing just outside his window. For only a moment, he began to feel truly sorry for having tried to take this away from her.

Hans' smile vanished as Elsa looked up and made eye contact with her audience. In an instant, her smile was gone as well. Her arms fell back down to her sides and something in her eyes was lost. Her hands flung to her hair as she scowled and hastily reassembled it atop her head. Her air was once again regal, formal, chained. She disappeared back into the castle. Hans shook his head and cursed under his breath; what on Earth had he been thinking? He was _not _sorry for what he'd attempted, and he'd do it again. He knew that all too well. Now that she'd restrained herself once more, Hans could see that nothing had really changed. She was the ruler of a great and wealthy kingdom, and he was nothing more than dirt stuck to the soles of people like her. Freedom was temporary and all but unattainable, but power was absolute. She had that power, and he did not; it was as simple as that…they were not the same at all.

Hans jumped as he heard a knock on his door. That was bizarre; Elias never knocked unless he thought the prince was sleeping, and that was highly unlikely in the middle of the day. What's more, the old man had fallen ill and had told Hans only hours ago that he'd probably be spending the day in bed.

"Uh…come in…" he said, his voice laden with uncertainty and curiosity.

For the second time since he'd arrived in Arendelle, Queen Elsa hesitantly shuffled into his room. Without really knowing why, perhaps due to the shock of the situation, Hans jumped to his feet. He scowled, feeling foolish for having displayed such a disgusting sign of subordination.

"Your majesty," he said irritably, still on his feet.

When Elsa had seen Hans watching her, she'd felt the urgent need to come up to his room. Now that she was there, however, she had no idea why. She couldn't come up with a single thing she wanted to say to him or ask him…nothing. She fumbled to save face.

"I've written to your brother," she said hastily, though this was a lie. Still, she _would_ be writing to King Claes soon, probably as soon as she could get herself out of this room.

"Alright…" Hans said, unsure of what to say or why she felt the need to tell him this. He debated whether or not to ask why she was writing, but then he remembered. This was Claes' _reward_ for turning him over. This woman had actually agreed to _pay _the Southern Isles, and for what? The privilege of living under the same roof as her would-be assassin? Suddenly, the idea was comical.

"Oh yes," he said with a sneer. "Your aid money to my old homeland. Your generosity knows no bounds, _your majesty._"

He was mocking her. How _dare _he? Elsa was at her absolute wits' end. She had put everything on the line for him: her reputation at home and abroad, the respect of her sister and her friends, the respect she had for _herself_, and for a man who not only showed no sign of remorse, but even taunted her for saving his skin? Anders had been right. This had to stop.

"That's not all he's coming for, Hans," she spat, filled with more rage than she could remember ever feeling before. "I just hope you haven't gotten too comfortable."

She didn't want to see the fear in his eyes. She didn't want to give a damn about the pathetic creature standing before her, so she turned and headed for the door in long and deliberate strides. Just as she had swung open the door, however, Hans called after her, the mocking tone of his voice entirely gone.

"You know…my brother…_all_ of my brothers…they made me who I am. They never gave me a chance. You _do_ know what it's like to be trapped by your own faults, don't you?"

With that familiar and inexplicable pang in her chest, Elsa left the room and closed the door behind her without a word.

**A/N: Hi all! **

**Hooray for early updates! I would have had this up yesterday, but my laptop has decided it's not going to function anymore, so it looks like I'll be spending my life in the library for a while haha. **

**I learned a lot about Hans from writing this chapter. He's a very oddly self-aware villain here, isn't he? Both of these poor souls are just so conflicted, and it really came to a head here.**

**Also, regarding the last chapter: I was so happy with the number of you who wanted to know more about Rebecka's and Elias' history; it's a story that's very important to me, and I love that it was of interest to you guys to. And I love how you guys have responded so well to Elias. You know, he almost wasn't even really a character. He was going to have about two lines of dialogue in that one scene with Claes at the beginning and then never appear again, but he found his way into a major role at the last minute, and I'm really glad that he did.**

**I'm really, really interested in seeing what you guys think of this chapter, since it's the first real head-on confrontation I've written for these two. As always, thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed so far, and I can't wait to hear from you all!**

**M.E. Raine**


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